Consp. Fl. Afr. 5: 822 (1895).- Type: Drège s.n., South Africa (iso- K)
Vilfa natalensis Steud., Syn. Pl. Glum. 1: 154 (1854)
Regional litterature: FTEA: 374 (1974); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 149 (1995); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,2: 186 (1999)
Description:
* Tufted perennial of 0.6-1.2 m high; basal sheaths rather broad at the base and somewhat papery. Leaves linear, flat or convolute, 15-50 cm long and 2-4 mm wide, tapering into a long point; ligule a fringe of hairs.
* Inflorescence a narrow, loosely contracted pyramidal panicle of 20-30 cm long. Primary branches spreading or ascending, subsecund, densely spicate along their whole length, the lowest 3-7 cm long, glabrous in the axils. Spikelets pedicelled.
* Spikelets lanceolate, 1.6-2.3 mm long, dark grey. Lower glume 0.5-0.8 mm long, obtuse; upper glume 0.8-1.3 mm long, acute. Lemma ovate, as long as spikelet, acute, tip often slightly incurving. Anthers 3, 0.8-1 mm long. Caryopsis obovoid-ellipsoid, 0.7-0.8 mm long, truncate.
Note: S. natalensis differs from S. pyramidalis in scarcely more than the acute upper glume, the grain tends to be a little longer.
Distribution West Africa: Cameroon.
Distribution world-wide: Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, DRC and Eritrea, E and southern Africa, Arabic Peninsular; introduced in Australia.